Candid Company: A Q&A With the Founder of Donna Guyler Design
After leaving the corporate sector, Donna Guyler embarked on a radical career change to pursue her passion for design
Julia Fairley
23 October 2018
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture that is thoughtful, sophisticated and champions an element of the unexpected. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts at UNSW and becoming a journalist, I studied interior architecture. For over a decade I have interviewed inspiring creative minds from around the world to write about design in its many different forms. Recently, I have also become an accidental gardener, to everyone's surprise.
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture... More
If you’d met Donna Guyler prior to 2012, you would have found her working in the corporate sector – a far cry from Donna Guyler Design, the interior design studio she runs today. After taking the plunge and forging a career change, she gained her design qualification, founded an interior design practice, and built a sought-after business… all in just six years. Houzz caught up with the Gold Coast-based interior designer to track her impressive trajectory.
What do you do?
I’m the founder of Donna Guyler Design, a boutique interior design studio specialising in reinventing residential spaces. We work with clients on small- and large-scale renovation projects, and we’re all about tailored home transformations that reconnect our clients with their homes in ways they never thought possible.
Donna Guyler, founder of Donna Guyler Design
I’m the founder of Donna Guyler Design, a boutique interior design studio specialising in reinventing residential spaces. We work with clients on small- and large-scale renovation projects, and we’re all about tailored home transformations that reconnect our clients with their homes in ways they never thought possible.
Donna Guyler, founder of Donna Guyler Design
What distinguishes your work?
We always try to find the ultimate balance between functionality and a great-looking space.
Country cottage renovation, Queensland
We always try to find the ultimate balance between functionality and a great-looking space.
Country cottage renovation, Queensland
How did you enter this field of work?
I worked in the corporate sector for about 13 years, supporting high-level executives and CEOs in both small and large organisations here and abroad. However, I had a passion for design from a very young age.
So, in 2012 I decided on a complete career change, to gain my qualification in interior design and quit my day job. I’ve never looked back.
Beachfront apartment renovation, Queensland
I worked in the corporate sector for about 13 years, supporting high-level executives and CEOs in both small and large organisations here and abroad. However, I had a passion for design from a very young age.
So, in 2012 I decided on a complete career change, to gain my qualification in interior design and quit my day job. I’ve never looked back.
Beachfront apartment renovation, Queensland
When did you start Donna Guyler Design?
I launched Donna Guyler Design in 2014, after gaining some industry experience contracting to other local designers and cabinetmakers.
Interior design and styling project, Queensland
I launched Donna Guyler Design in 2014, after gaining some industry experience contracting to other local designers and cabinetmakers.
Interior design and styling project, Queensland
How has your business changed?
When I founded Donna Guyler Design I had one client, and I continue to work for this client today. Six months on, I hired my first designer and two months later, I hired the second.
Since then my studio has grown substantially, however we now take on fewer projects and provide a highly detailed and extensive service to our clients on their projects. It has evolved at a pace that even I have struggled to keep up with some days! I was very much finding my feet as a new business owner in the early days, but I quickly identified the demand for a fully comprehensive ‘all in’ interior design service for renovators.
Beachfront home renovation, Queensland
When I founded Donna Guyler Design I had one client, and I continue to work for this client today. Six months on, I hired my first designer and two months later, I hired the second.
Since then my studio has grown substantially, however we now take on fewer projects and provide a highly detailed and extensive service to our clients on their projects. It has evolved at a pace that even I have struggled to keep up with some days! I was very much finding my feet as a new business owner in the early days, but I quickly identified the demand for a fully comprehensive ‘all in’ interior design service for renovators.
Beachfront home renovation, Queensland
Clients were looking for a designer to not only redesign their homes, but to manage their project from start to finish and everything in between, because for the inexperienced renovator this is a highly stressful and daunting prospect.
So I started to extend the service I was offering to go beyond the conceptual design phase, and geared my marketing campaign towards the serious renovator. Before I knew it, we were inundated with enquiries.
Beachfront home renovation, Queensland
So I started to extend the service I was offering to go beyond the conceptual design phase, and geared my marketing campaign towards the serious renovator. Before I knew it, we were inundated with enquiries.
Beachfront home renovation, Queensland
Can you identify a turning point for your company?
Social media has played a significant part in the branding of my business. It has allowed us to align our brand with our personal approach to interior design, our commitment to quality, and to adding value, all of which has helped us attract the right clients.
We developed our Instagram profile even before we created our website. And we have many clients whom we work with on an ongoing basis, across many different projects, who will often refer us on.
Beachfront home renovation, Queensland
Social media has played a significant part in the branding of my business. It has allowed us to align our brand with our personal approach to interior design, our commitment to quality, and to adding value, all of which has helped us attract the right clients.
We developed our Instagram profile even before we created our website. And we have many clients whom we work with on an ongoing basis, across many different projects, who will often refer us on.
Beachfront home renovation, Queensland
What has proven the greatest professional challenge?
As all business owners will know, every day presents a new challenge – it’s a case of extreme highs and lows – but it’s all about remembering why you do what you do and focusing on the end goal.
Running a busy studio with a husband who also runs a growing business and having a young son in school is probably the biggest ongoing challenge I face, but we love a challenge!
Home renovation, Queensland
As all business owners will know, every day presents a new challenge – it’s a case of extreme highs and lows – but it’s all about remembering why you do what you do and focusing on the end goal.
Running a busy studio with a husband who also runs a growing business and having a young son in school is probably the biggest ongoing challenge I face, but we love a challenge!
Home renovation, Queensland
What have you learnt about your industry that you wish you knew when you started?
It has taken time and experience for me to really understand that adding value on each project means very different things from one client to another. The value that we can potentially add for our clients is not just financial, but on many different levels.
We now tailor our approach to every project to ensure we are adding value that’s specific to our particular client’s needs.
Waterfront home renovation, Queensland
It has taken time and experience for me to really understand that adding value on each project means very different things from one client to another. The value that we can potentially add for our clients is not just financial, but on many different levels.
We now tailor our approach to every project to ensure we are adding value that’s specific to our particular client’s needs.
Waterfront home renovation, Queensland
When choosing sub-contractors or clients, what do you look for?
We love working with clients and industry professionals who align with our brand, who have a similar commitment to quality and great design, and who understand that achieving this takes time.
Contemporary home renovation, Queensland
We love working with clients and industry professionals who align with our brand, who have a similar commitment to quality and great design, and who understand that achieving this takes time.
Contemporary home renovation, Queensland
What are the deal breakers that make you reluctant to work with sub-contractors or clients?
Quality workmanship is key, and respect for each others’ role in the project. Sloppy standards and cutting corners is a deal-breaker for us.
Beachfront home renovation, Queensland
Quality workmanship is key, and respect for each others’ role in the project. Sloppy standards and cutting corners is a deal-breaker for us.
Beachfront home renovation, Queensland
What’s the best advice you can offer about managing a team?
Accept your team members for who they are, and acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses – don’t try to turn your team members into someone they’re not or force them to do things your way.
Encourage an open-minded approach, collaboration and for all ideas to be thrown on the table – this can generate magic in a team.
Contemporary home renovation, Queensland
Accept your team members for who they are, and acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses – don’t try to turn your team members into someone they’re not or force them to do things your way.
Encourage an open-minded approach, collaboration and for all ideas to be thrown on the table – this can generate magic in a team.
Contemporary home renovation, Queensland
How do you plan to grow or maintain your level of success?
We are focused on honing and developing our process in-house, to better the outcome and experience for our clients. We are very much about quality, not quantity at Donna Guyler Design – we prefer to take on only a smaller number of projects at any one time, to ensure we exceed our clients’ expectations.
Beachfront home renovation, Queensland
We are focused on honing and developing our process in-house, to better the outcome and experience for our clients. We are very much about quality, not quantity at Donna Guyler Design – we prefer to take on only a smaller number of projects at any one time, to ensure we exceed our clients’ expectations.
Beachfront home renovation, Queensland
Any recommendations for software or apps that help you run your business well?
We use SketchUp Pro to produce all of our working drawings, and rely heavily on InDesign for communicating the visual components of our projects.
We are cloud-based, which allows us to work from anywhere, as we work with clients all over the country. And we automate as many administrative elements as we can.
Contemporary home renovation, Queensland
We use SketchUp Pro to produce all of our working drawings, and rely heavily on InDesign for communicating the visual components of our projects.
We are cloud-based, which allows us to work from anywhere, as we work with clients all over the country. And we automate as many administrative elements as we can.
Contemporary home renovation, Queensland
Tell us
Which points in this interview resonate with your own professional experience? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
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Love everything Donna creates!
Thank you so much for all your lovely comments. And thanks for a great story Julia, it was a pleasure to work with you x